


Somebody That I Used To Know

by alexpond



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Crush, Awkwardness, Bad Parenting, Crushes, Crying, First Crush, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-High School, Road Trips, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2018-08-24 02:23:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8353039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexpond/pseuds/alexpond
Summary: Harry, Niall, Liam, and Zayn decide to go on a road trip on their holiday from university. Their plan is to visit all of their hometowns, and Harry's is up first.Their plan goes sideways when they stumble upon a drunken moron who looks like Gooby.





	1. Un

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting here, and honestly, this is a mess.  
> Some of it is actually based on a true story, parts of it I just wish were based on a true story, and the rest is just shit I came up with. With a few Crowley quotes because I love Crowley.  
> The second part will be up when I actually know what the frick frack snick snack I'm gonna write.
> 
> Also sorry for the title. It's lame, I know.

Harry hadn't visited Holmes Chapel since moving away after high school. Everything looked the same; he even recognized most of the people he saw. It wasn't as if he hated the place, not really. It's just that Holmes Chapel was a relatively small place, with lots of judgemental and old-fashioned people. So. Harry was not necessarily the happiest person ever to visit the place he once called home.

The lads, Liam, Niall, and Zayn, had proposed a road trip to celebrate yet another successful year in uni, although it was originally Liam's idea to visit their hometowns.

"It will be fun!," he had said enthusiastically, "We can hang out with old friends, and visit places filled with childhood memories!"

Who was Harry to say no to that, really?

So there they were, in Zayn's beat up 1995 Ford Fiesta, headed towards Holmes Chapel. Harry was in the backseat with Niall, while Zayn was driving and Liam was fiddling with the radio. The decibels in the car reached a whole new level every time there was a good song they could sing along to. The rest of the time was filled with mindless chatter about old friends, and places they were going to visit in their hometowns.

When they were nearing Holmes Chapel, Harry started feeling a tad anxious. Everything looked so familiar, yet so strange. They had decided that they wouldn't meet Harry's old friends from school because, well, he only had one, and he was currently still at their university dorms, suffering from a nasty stomach bug.

"Liam, how many times do I have to tell you not to put your filthy feet on the dashboard?"

Liam smirked at Zayn's irritated request and instead of moving his feet, he turned the volume up on the radio.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Liam!" Zayn yelled over the music, clearly about to punch him in the dick. He continued, muttering, "I swear one day I will get a fucking chainsaw and cut your cute little head off, right after I kick you in the balls, put raw onion in your mesmerizing eyes, and make you drink orange juice after washing your perfect, pearly white teeth."

Oblivious to the threats, Liam was happily singing along to the radio with Niall, while Harry was deep in thought, trying to clear his head so he could have fun with his best mates. He didn't have much time for that before he was rudely interrupted by Zayn slamming the brakes.

"What the hell!?" Zayn and Harry yelled, while Niall just screamed and Liam looked startled.

There was a 20-something-year-old man banging his fists on the bonnet, and swaying while trying to convey his highly important message.

"Did you just try to kill me? Listen up, you- you hooligans! Yes, hooligans, do you have any idea who I am and what I could do to you?"

The drunken idiot was squinting so hard that his eyes were almost closed as he pointed his finger at the boys. After a few seconds of staring at the weirdo, Niall was the first one to lose it. He exploded with laughter with the others soon following. Even Harry was laughing genuinely, despite his earlier mood.

"Oh my fricken God that dude looks like Goofy in those shitty memes. You know, the ones where he's like, 'Dolan, are you shitting me?' and then he's like 'Gooby please' and I-" Niall said wiping the tears that were already running down his cheeks. Zayn slapped his knee and threw his head back in a loud, boisterous laugh. "Well lads, I think I know why Harry hasn't visited this place in ages," Liam cackled, while Niall was -again- shaking with fits of giggles, "I mean if the welcoming committee is like this all the time-"

They all jumped a little when they heard a loud thump and when they turned to face the drunk, he was nowhere to be seen. Exchanging curious looks, they got out of the car, only to see the man passed out in front of it, face down, ass up.

"Well," Niall sighed, "this has been an interesting evening so far." They all nodded and, grinning, turned to look at the unconscious bastard lying at their feet.

Zayn was the first to speak up. "So. What do we do with Gooby?"

Harry chuckled and cleared his throat. "I think we need to move him somewhere else -we're in the middle of the bloody road! Then we've got to get someone to pick him up, or find out where he lives and take him there."

"Sounds reasonable. Harry go behind the steering wheel while Zayn, Niall, and I lift the body in the car." They all do as they're told, except Niall, who seems to be frozen in place.

"What is it, Niall? Hurry up! We need to get moving. This guy is kinda heavy." Zayn said impatiently. Niall broke out of his daze, muttering something about Liam sounding like a bloody murderer.

When they were back in the car and Harry was driving, trying to find a good place where he could park the car, the unknown lad was starting to show signs of consciousness.

"Hey, I think Sleeping Beauty is waking up," Zayn said from the backseat, "does anyone have a bottle of water?" Niall handed him one from the front seat, watching closely as the man in the middle seat slowly fluttered his eyes open. When he was finally awake, his eyes grew comically as he took in his surroundings.

"You bastards, first you try to kill me, then you try to kidnap me and," Liam tries to give him the bottle of water, but the guy slaps it away, "and then you try to poison me? What kind of fuckery is this? If you don't let me go I swear to God. No one in the history of torture’s been tortured with the torture like the torture you’ll be tortured with." Thrashing around, he was trying to get away from the boys, the car, and probably his life, too. Liam and Zayn had to restrain him while telling him to pipe the fuck down.

"Harry, stop the car," Liam said to Harry, who then pulled over at the nearest bus stop. Liam turned to Louis and continued, reassuringly, "We didn't try to kill you, nor did we try to poison or kidnap you. We're just trying to help you, okay mate?" He visibly calmed down at his gentle tone.

Meanwhile, Harry was having his own crisis at the front because he was about 99,9% sure that he knew exactly who the lad was. And honestly, he thought he had gotten over his little crush. Well, if you can call it little when it lasted for over two years. Or was it longer? Maybe he never really got over it.?

You see, back in high school, Harry had this huge crush on a guy in his class. Louis Tomlinson was his name, and Harry really, REALLY liked him.

It all started when Louis messaged Harry on Facebook one evening, probably out of boredom, or as a dare, but they had a nice chat regardless of the reason why it happened in the first place. Harry didn't have many friends, so he was surprised with his classmate's sudden interest in him. From then on, it was constant messaging and countless chats over mundane things, as well as very deep, insightful conversations. The funny thing was, that though they saw each other in school every day, they never really properly talked face to face. They had become friends of sorts, but they never hung out. It had a lot to do with Harry's shyness and Louis' bold and loud group of friends, as well as the fact that they were so bloody different. Harry was a quiet teetotaler, good at school, and just an overall goody two-shoes, while Louis was known for snarky comments aimed at teachers, his bad grades, and his drinking/smoking habits.

Gradually the chats became shorter, and more messages were left unanswered. In the end, Harry was left with a huge crush and no way of continuing their communication. Face-to-face chats were out of the question because Harry couldn't even get a sentence out without blushing like mad, and he never worked up the courage to even try. So he focused on school and watching Louis from afar.

Come high school graduation, Harry was thinking 'what the hell, I'm moving away anyways' so he sent Louis just one more message.

"I've had a crush on you for almost two years. Just wanted to let you know."

To Harry's surprise, the answer had been in the lines of 'I like you too, actually have for like six months' and, okay. So his crush liked him back, just, wow. What is life?

Harry, being the excited, love-craving boy he was, messaged him back, to ask if they should, like, go on a date now or something, but Louis declined, saying that he wasn't really looking for a relationship at the moment. He basically pulled the 'it's not you, it's me' card on him. It stung a little, but Harry was happy anyways because his feelings had been reciprocated.

Maybe that's why he had never really gotten truly over it. There had been no heartbreak or no hard feelings involved. They had just left it at that. That they liked each other. Maybe if he now-

"Earth to Harry!" Harry snapped out of his reminiscing and turned towards Zayn, who was looking at him oddly.

The drunken lad - Louis- had his head cradled in his hands, and he was shaking a little, probably crying or laughing. He let out a gut-wrenching sob, making it clear to the others, that he was indeed crying.

"I deserve to be loved!" he suddenly yelled, and then lowered his voice to barely a whisper, "I just want to be loved."

His speech was now more coherent, though he was still clearly drunk off his ass. Liam had a sympathetic look on his face and he went to touch Louis' shoulder, but as soon as they made contact, Louis flinched.

"Please don't hurt me," he whispered brokenly, looking down at his lap, "I just want to go home, please."

Harry's heart was breaking for the boy, so he beckoned Zayn to switch places with him. He made his way to the back seat, while Liam was asking the boy for his name. He seemed scared and anxious, so Harry cut in.

"His name is Louis," and with that, all four pairs of eyes were on Harry. Oops.

"Wait, you know this guy?" Niall said, pointing his thumb at an astounded Louis. Harry shrugged and turned his eyes on Louis, whose jaw had dropped and his eyes were wide open and red from the sobbing.

A minute or two passed -Louis and Harry were just staring at each other- until Niall coughed, snapping them out of it. Harry offered Louis a reassuring smile, and a quiet 'hi'. Louis closed his mouth and the left corner of his lips turned slightly upwards. Harry turned to Zayn and told him to start the engine because they were going to take Louis home. Louis leaned his head against Harry and his face looked peaceful for the first time that night.

"Okay, so where are we heading?" Zayn asked. Harry rattled the address and got a confirming nod from Louis. So yes, he apparently still lived at his parents' house.

The drive was a quiet one, the only voices were Louis' soft breaths and Niall's grunts when he was losing his intensive game of Tetris.  
When they arrived, Louis was sound asleep. Harry had been rubbing circles in his lower back for the whole ride, trying to calm him down and make him feel comfortable. At first, Harry was very keen on getting rid of Louis, but now, with Louis asleep against him, he wasn't so sure anymore.


	2. Deux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up and dropping off a drunken Louis wasn't a part of their original plan - neither was Harry deciding to stay with Louis for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that took a while............  
> sorry
> 
> Also it's like 1pm and I should've gone to bed hours ago but I just wanted to get this done, so there might be some (embarrassing) mistakes, because I just can't read this through anymore today.  
> hmu if you find any

All good things come to an end, Harry thought, when the car stopped and he was faced with the house he walked by on purpose for so many times, so many years ago.

"We're here," Zayn said and turned to look at Harry, "you should wake him up, so we can get back on the road." Harry was very reluctant, but he turned to face the sleeping lad. Louis was so freaking adorable while he was sleeping, Harry thought. It felt awful having to wake him up, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

"Louis," Harry murmured gently into Louis' ear, "you're home, darling, you've got to wake up." Louis stirred but didn't show any further signs of gaining consciousness. Harry sighed and raised his voice a notch. "Louis, wake up. You need to get out the car so we can get you home, okay?" Still nothing. How could Harry wake him up so Louis wouldn't freak out? He knew he had to do it gently because Louis was in a very fragile state before he fell asleep, so he would have to- 

"Wake the fuck up, ya cunt!"

Well, that works too. Thanks, Niall.

"What the hell- where am I? Who are- oh. Right, uhh." Louis was definitely not asleep anymore. His first instinct had been to try to get out of the car, but when he had noticed Harry's presence, he visibly relaxed. He looked Harry in the eyes and a subtle blush started to creep up his neck. What the hell was that about, Harry thought. 

"Goddamnit Niall, are you off your rocker!?" Zayn smacked him upside the head and scowled at him. Niall rubbed the back of his head and muttered something along the lines of 'at least he woke up'.

"You're lucky Harry was otherwise occupied, or he would've really smacked you stupid, you asshat," Liam called from the backseat, smirking at Harry.

Harry got out of the car, practically fuming at Niall. He had wanted to be the one to wake Louis up. Well, too late now, he thought and stretched a hand to help Louis out of the car too. He took it hesitantly, and when their hands touched, a fuzzy feeling warmed Harry up to his core. He smiled shyly at Louis when he stumbled when getting out of the car and falling against Harry's chest.

"Well, Harry, this trip wasn't so bad after all. You've already gotten someone to fall for you," Zayn chirped, making the others laugh again. Both of the boys outside were red in the face when they separated. Harry flipped Zayn off and turned to look at Louis again. He noticed that Louis was still swaying a little, so Harry wrapped a steadying arm around his middle. 

"Okay so I'm gonna take him inside, and I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

 

Harry didn't wait for their answers and just turned around with Louis, making the short trip to the front door. Louis hadn't said anything after his outburst after waking up, and Harry was honestly a little worried.

"Louis, are you okay?" he asked with a gentle tone. The only answer he got was a short glance and a nod. Well. Okay then.

"Do you have your keys?" Again not verbally answering, Louis dug his wallet out of his back pocket, took a simple key from the coin department and handed it to Harry. He unlocked the door and led them inside. Harry had been in Louis' house once when he was about 12 years old. He had been friends with his step-sister, Lottie, with whom he hadn't talked for years. They had never been too close, anyway, so.

Harry helped Louis take off his shoes (He wore black Vans. Some things never changed, Harry thought) and took his own pair of sneakers off too. He motioned Louis to show the way to his room, and when they got there, it was so different from what Harry had imagined. Louis had always been a bubbly, eccentric person, and Harry had always thought that his room would somehow reflect that. But no, Louis' room was like a hotel room; there were no personal objects -aside from the glass of water which Louis just emptied-, the bed was neatly made, and it was just plain. Boring. So unlike Louis. He shook his head to get his focus back on the other lad, and noticed that he was already half-naked. Harry froze when his gaze fell on Louis' uncovered chest.

 

Harry had seen Louis in his boxers once. He didn't know why, but in their school it was like, a thing, to pull others' pants down randomly. It happened in the hallways, during recess, and even during PE class. (He remembers someone getting in trouble for accidentally pulling a girl's underwear down along with her pants). The someone-pulling-Louis'-pants-down-in-front-of-Harry-incident actually happened twice.

The first time was in art class when they were 13 or 14 years old. It was recess, but some people had stayed in class to work on their paintings. So there Harry was, sitting peacefully and painting when he noticed that Louis was hanging from the nearby spiral staircase. He looked like he was trying to do pull-ups or something. Harry didn't know, but he didn't really care. Anyways. When he saw two other boys from his class sneak up behind Louis, clearly about to attempt pulling his pants down, Harry turned his gaze firmly on his masterpiece, just when the guys yanked Louis' pants down. Unfortunately (for Louis), they also took down his underwear in the process, and if Harry's eyes hadn't been glued to his artwork, he'd had seen Louis in all his glory. But the guys who bared Louis were sure that Harry had seen Louis' dick, so they occasionally teased him about it.

The second time was during recess. Harry was sitting with his best friend Ed -the one who couldn't make it on their road trip- on a small staircase that led to the house next to their school. Louis was stood on an another staircase opposite them, facing the school parking lot, when someone got him again. Only this time Harry definitely looked, but Louis' boxers stayed on. Louis pulled his pants back up and blushed when he noticed that Harry had seen his (dark grey) boxers.

Harry broke out of his reminiscing and realised that he had been staring at Louis' bare chest for quite a while now, and flushed scarlet. Louis hadn't noticed - he had been too busy leaning against his wardrobe and doing something on his phone. Harry cleared his throat to gain Louis' attention. He swayed a bit when he turned his gaze up and straightened up his posture, so Harry rushed to his side again. He helped him down on the bed and pulled the covers on him. He didn't really want to leave but the boys were waiting for him, so.

 

"Are you alright?" Harry asked while Louis took his jeans off under the blanket and threw them on the floor next to his shirt. He smiled at the sober lad and nodded. Good, Harry thought and started to make his way out of the room.

"Harry," came a small voice when Harry was just about to step out of Louis' room "could you stay with me? I- I don't want to be alone." 

Honestly, how could he turn down a request like that? Especially when Louis sounded like a child who was scared of the monsters hiding under his bed. He couldn't help but smile.

"I'll just go and tell the boys that I'm going to stay just a tad longer? But just until you fall asleep, is that okay?" After a confirming nod, he got out and walked the short distance to the car.

 

"Well it took you long enough, mate. We thought you were going to stay and nail this dude or something. Who was he anyway?" Ah, the ever-so-curious Niall was on the loose. And from the looks of it he had found Zayn's chocolate stash in the glove compartment. Liam and Zayn were both sitting on the hood of the car, smoking cigarettes. They both looked at Harry curiously, clearly wanting him to answer Niall's question.

"Umm, so, do you remember when I told you about my first real crush?" Harry drawled while playing with his fingers, gaze firmly on the ground.

"No way," Liam gasped. Zayn and Niall were both speechless, so Harry continued.

"Yeah, uh, he actually asked if I could stay. Just until he falls asleep! Is that okay? It's just that he really didn't want to be alone, and I thought-"

"It's fine, Harry," Zayn chirped, stopping Harry's rambling, "We can wait for a while longer, right, lads?" Niall and Liam nodded, and Niall grinned at him smugly.

"Go on, then, Casanova. Don't let loverboy wait for you for too long. And remember to use protection!"

 

Harry left the three laughing lads and muttered about finding new friends as he made his way back inside. When he got to Louis' room, he was sitting up on the bed, sniffling. Harry rushed to sit on the bed next to him. He took Louis' hand in his and started stroking his knuckles reassuringly.

"Hey, I came back, everything's fine now, right? You can go to sleep. I won't leave before you fall asleep." Louis gave him a watery smile and a nod. He laid down and faced away from Harry.

Harry let out a shaky breath and sat on the bed with his back against the headboard. Louis looked tense, so Harry started running his fingers through his hair. He relaxed immediately. It was like all he needed was a single touch to feel at ease again. How has he been doing for the past years, Harry wondered. Has he been happy? Loved and cherished like he deserved? Who knows, maybe Harry will ask him in the morning-

Except that he won't be there when Louis wakes up. He's going to be in the hotel with his best mates, and they will continue their epic road trip after visiting the few places Harry wanted to show them.

Now that won't just do, Harry decided. He wanted desperately to stay with Louis. Just to make sure he's okay, he told himself.

Louis seemed to be asleep, so he untangled his hand from Louis' hair and quietly went out to inform his friends that he'd be staying the night.

 

Zayn had moved to the backseat and was now lying down with his head on Liam's lap, who was absentmindedly carding his fingers through Zayn's hair. When Zayn saw Harry approaching the car, he rose quickly and started making his way to the driver's seat.

"Finally! Now let's hit the road fellas!" Niall whooped at Zayn's exclamation, but Liam noticed the indifferent look on Harry's face. Niall didn't.

"Get in, loser! We've gotta get to the hotel." Harry gave him an apologetic look and shook his head.

"Harry what's wrong?" Liam asked tentatively.

"I can't leave him. I- Just. So much happened today, and I want to get to the bottom of it. Louis, he's- He's sort of the one that got away so I want to, I want to just make sure he's okay. I'll meet you at the hotel tomorrow when we've talked."

They atmosphere was now serious, and no one dared to crack a joke. Not even Niall. Liam had a sympathetic look plastered on his face, while Zayn and Niall were smiling fondly at him.

"Go get your boy. Call us when you're ready." Liam gave Harry his bag and shut the door. And with that, Zayn started the car and they were off.

 

Harry smiled and went inside the house. He assumed that no one was home because no one had seemingly woken up despite the noise they had made during the night. Also, there was no car in their driveway. Harry went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change into a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt. When he was done, he returned to Louis' room and was met with heartbreaking sight.

Louis was awake and sobbing. He was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands and he was clearly trying to pull himself together, but failing miserably.

"You are 20-years-old, Louis. Get your fucking shit together. Stop crying like a goddamn baby and act your age. No wonder everyone leaves you and cheats on you and hates you. You're just a giant baby who can't fucking do anything right." He was pulling his hair while he was muttering to himself, eyes squeezed shut tightly. Harry's own eyes widened at the sight and he rushed to Louis' side.

"Louis," he whispered, not daring to touch him, "hey, it's Harry."

Louis' eyes flew open and he looked straight at Harry. Harry smiled at him while Louis' face turned even redder than it was before. Then he let out a gut wrenching sob:

"I thought you left."

Harry's arms were around Louis in a fracture of a second. He was whispering sweet nothings in his ear, as he squeezed him tight, trying to hold the pieces together. Louis was clinging to him like his life depended on it. What the hell had happened to him? Harry had never seen anyone break down like this before.

Eventually, Louis' sobs quieted down to occasional sniffles, so Harry pulled back to look him in the eye. He wiped some tears off his face with his thumbs and then placed his hands on his shoulders. Louis was looking down so Harry gently lifted his chin up to make sure Louis understood what he had to say.

"You don't have to talk about what's happened to get you to break down like this. At least not yet. So please, let's just get some sleep, okay? I won't leave you. I'll be here for the whole night. You won't be alone."

"You promise?" Louis' voice broke at the latter word, making him sound young and innocent, like a child who still had faith in promises.

"Cross my heart." That apparently was reassuring enough for Louis, who just nodded and made room for Harry to slide in under the covers.

Harry wasn't sure what to do now that Louis was relatively back to normal. Should he still hold him? He had always imagined himself being the little spoon, but in this situation, he saw no other option than Harry being the big spoon. But was spooning too much for Louis? Maybe he would think it was weird or that Harry was trying to hit on him or-

Louis was facing Harry when he took Harry's hand in his. He smiled faintly at him and turned over, pulling Harry's arm around him. Well, that answers that question, Harry concluded. He shuffled closer to Louis and buried his face in his hair; there was absolutely no room between their bodies.

The last thing Harry remembers thinking about was how right it felt to have Louis in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said that this was partly based on a true story, right? Yeah, well, the true story parts are Harry's memories of high school.
> 
> Yeah... Those were the times, man.
> 
> ((seriously tho wtf?? Like it's been 6 years since this shit happened, and now I'm like, "fuck yeah let's write gay fanfiction based on what happened to me w/ my crush when I was like 14 AND then let's put that shit into my favourite thing to day dream about AU))
> 
> I need psychological help, preferably asap
> 
> (Honestly I have no idea where I'm going with this story, so please bear with me)


	3. Trois

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up with his high-school crush's head on his chest and their limbs tangled: a dream come true?
> 
> Definitely so not part of the previous plan, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up I'm lazy and kinda forgot the existence of this but hey you just got an another high school memory of mine hidden within all the ridiculous schmoop.
> 
> Decided to fuck sleep and write this crap instead.
> 
> Waiting for my beta to read this, so some changes might be done. I just want to post this now anyways lol
> 
> Text in italics is thoughts.
> 
> Also let's make the time frame clear; the boys are 20 years old at the moment, and the last time they saw each other was in school they graduated from at the age of 16, and Harry first developed the crush when they were 14. Harry's confession was via Facebook about 2 weeks after graduation, but they haven't actually seen each other for 4 years.  
> Louis' dad left when he was 6, Lottie was born when he was 8, Fizzy when he was 10, and the twins when he was 12. Mark left when Louis was 17.

There was a ray of light and some birds having a sing-off intruding the boys' moment. The moment neither of them knew of. They were asleep, legs tangled, Louis head on Harry's shoulder with his arm thrown around his middle. Harry's arm was resting on top of Louis', and they looked peaceful. Had you not known of the events of the night before, you'd never have guessed that this boy - Louis - could be so distressed as he had been. Harry's lips were slightly open, and Louis was snoring a little. All of a sudden, a bird crashed into the window, breaking -not the window- but the tender moment of the two lads.

 _Wow, this is the worst headache I've had in years_ , was Louis' first thought when he gained consciousness. He tried to lift his hand to rub his temple but noticed that it was somehow constricted.

 _Did I go home with someone last night?_ Louis opened his eyes and was met with a t-shirt clad chest. His eyes climbed up to see that he definitely recognized the owner of the very firm and nice chest.

 _Shit_ _. So it wasn't just a dream, then. How embarrassing! I acted like a goddamn idiot in front of him._ The events of last night came back to Louis like a flood, and he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt of trying to forget how ridiculous of a sight he must've been. He was starting to panic. The need to get out was ever growing, and starting to get a bit overwhelming. Louis opened his eyes to look at Harry. Still sound asleep. Gently he tried to pull his hand from his grip and untangle their legs, but it was difficult to do it without waking Harry up. When Louis yanked his hand away, Harry stirred in his sleep. Louis panicked. Again.

 _Fuck what if he wakes up and gets disgusted and yells at me or punches me or-_ Harry turned so he was facing Louis - still asleep- and wrapped his arm around Louis' back. He pulled Louis close to his chest and his hand went to card through the hair on the back of his head. With doing so, he pulled Louis' head firmly against him, so Louis could feel his chest rising and falling.

 _Oh. This is nice. Maybe if I just... Five more minutes, then I have to do something. Just five more minutes. I swear._ Louis threw his left arm around Harry's middle and closed his eyes, letting his breath fall in sync with Harry's.

Well, obviously Louis' five more minutes wasn't just five minutes, since he fell back asleep. Honestly, though, who wouldn't?  It was warm and comfortable, and Louis was in serious need of a good cuddle.

A few hours passed until Harry woke up. Unlike Louis, he knew exactly where he was and what had happened on the night before. He slowly pulled his head back from where his chin was resting atop Louis' head, and looked at Louis' face. Harry's mind was suddenly all cupcakes and unicorns and rainbows when his eyes were taking in all of the features of the sleeping lad. The bastard was still beautiful as ever. He sighed, and started to untangle himself from Louis

Harry was more successful than Louis in detaching himself from the other boy. Louis didn't really even stir as Harry managed to get up and pull the covers back on him.

He desperately wanted to talk to Louis, but he also didn't want to wake him up. Conflicted by his dilemma, he huffed and made his way towards the door.

And he tripped. _Son of a bitch._

With his life flashing before his eyes, he fell towards Louis' table and took a porcelain angel figure down with him, making it crash loudly against the floor.

Obviously, Louis woke up due to the ruckus.

"What the absolute fuck, Harry? I'm trying to sleep here," Louis murmured, annoyed that his slumber had yet again been disturbed, "could you please come back? It's not as comfortable here alone. Also, I swear you're like a freaking radiator, so I'm cold now. Pretty please, with a cherry on top?"

_Cuteness overload what the fuck how is he even real._

Harry threw Louis a puzzled glance, making him sigh.

"Yeah yeah, we gotta talk, yes, I know that, but seriously. Like, five more minutes."

Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, but really just five minutes. I can't be here for the whole day."

He stood up and  walked the short distance back to Louis' bed, where Louis lifted the covers and made room for Harry to lay next to him. There was a very short moment when neither was sure about what to do next, but after Louis moved to pull Harry closer, he followed suit. They didn't say a word, but they resumed their previous position: Louis' head against Harry's chest, arm thrown over his middle, while Harry rested his chin on top of the other lad's head, gently massaging his scalp. He had a strong urge to kiss Louis' hair, but he was strong enough to not do so.

_Would he notice if I did it? Probably yeah, and he would think I'm some sort of a creep. Though it wouldn't be that bad, since, well, I'm already in his bed, literally cuddling him and touching his hair... His very soft, and all-around wonderful hair. I wonder which shampoo he uses, his hair smells amazing. Or maybe that's just Louis. Okay, wow, now you are being a total weirdo for sure. Get a grip. Honestly, you need some professional help because you are a-_

"I can practically hear you thinking, Harry." _Oh. Louis. Right then. Quick, say something not completely stupid._

"Umm... I was just wondering what kind of shampoo you use."

_You fucking disgrace._

Louis pulled back, blinked a couple times, and started laughing out loud. Harry joined with nervous chuckles that soon evolved into real giggling.

When their laughter quieted down to just silly smiles on their faces, Louis turned to lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling.

"I see that you've still got your weird sense of humor. I always thought you were funny. And smart. And nice." 

Louis frowned, wondering where that sudden outburst had come from. He was waaay over Harry, right?

"T- thanks, Louis." Harry's face was red as a firetruck. Louis had a similar colour rising up his neck, but it wasn't as noticeable as Harry's. He turned his head to look at Harry briefly and decided to just get the serious talk over with.

"So... You probably want to know what happened yesterday."    

Harry gave Louis a reassuring nod, urging him to continue. Louie turned his gaze back into the ceiling above him.

"I just- Well, I've always just wanted to be loved." Harry's eyebrows shot up. This was so not going to be like he thought.

"Ever since I was little, I've tried to make people like me. I was the funny guy, the life of the party, the popular one. I admit, I wasn't always nice to everyone. Especially in high school. I'm ashamed of how I acted back then, but then I wasn't really thinking about others, I just wanted to be one of the cool kids."

 

Harry remembers one incident when he stood up for a guy who Louis had teased during English class. Their teacher had assigned them new seats, and she had made Louis sit next to Harry. His classmates weren't the easiest bunch, but Harry still liked them - many teachers didn't. Louis and one other guy from his class had been throwing pieces of an eraser at the class' number one (verbal) punching bag. 

They always teased him for 'being gay' (he was hella flamboyant and feminine. He did actually turn out to be gay, though) but he fought back because he had a strong personality and he refused to be their little bitch. But, the boys didn't listen to him when he asked them to stop throwing that shit at him. So Harry decided to step in. He simply asked them to stop it, and they did. Just like that. They even tried apologizing to -wait for it- Harry. Yes, they had the nerve to try and apologize to Harry, which made him so mad.

Next English class, Louis had moved to the back of the classroom to sit alone.

 

"-so no one I knew in high school really talks to me anymore."

Louis' soft sniffle brought Harry back from memory lane, and he was met with a teary-eyed Louis still staring at the ceiling. Louis took a shaky breath and continued.

"Since I'm the oldest sibling, I never really got to be just a kid. I had lots of responsibilities when mom was single and always working. Lottie and Fizzy were small, so I had to sacrifice a lot of my free time to help them with their homework, do the laundry, cook dinner, clean the house, take care of them when they were sick... The same thing happened with the twins too when Mark left. And then there's this whole thing with dad."

Harry remembers Louis talking about his dad. He had left before Lottie was born, so he had never been much help to anything.

"Dad hated crying. He was always yelling at me when I would cry - ever since I was like four years old. He would yell at me for crying when my favourite toy was stolen by the mean boy at recess. And when mom decided that she could cut my hair by herself and gave me a hideous, uneven bowl cut. The only times he did not yell at me for crying was when I broke my wrist when I fell pretty bad when I was playing football. His shouting usually just made me cry more, and it was like a never ending cycle. I still hate crying, even after all these years. I keep seeing his angry red face, and I can almost hear his voice... 'Quit being such a cry-baby, son! Real men don't weep like pansies.' And then he left. Left his no-good son and his ridiculous crying habits."

Harry was so angry. At Louis' dad. At the world. At everyone who had ever hurt Louis in any way.  Louis was fiddling with his fingers nervously, and he then turned so his body was facing Harry. Their eyes met and Louis kept talking.

"As for finding romantic love... I tried so hard. I dated lots, tried to meet people online, at work, in bars, at uni, but nothing good really came out of it. I've had three longer relationships, but they all lasted for 4 months tops and ended when my partners cheated on me. The worst thing about that is that I never saw it coming. I always thought we were happy. And then there's someone else in the bed I'm used to sharing with them on weekends during movie nights or, well, you know. Am I just not good enough? Is that it? I'm just a useless piece of shit who can't even-"

"Shut up Louis."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not sure what I'm doing, so here's a cliffhanger for you guys. but hey at least you know what's up with Louis now
> 
> no idea when I'm continuing this but it will happen sooner or later
> 
> thanks for dealing with this shit


	4. Quatre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Harry's time to talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT  
> IS  
> UP  
> I am back with an another chapter that annoyingly ends in a cliffhanger because I'm apparently all about that life  
> Please hmu if you find some mistakes or if you have questions or if you just want to yell at me because I am terrible at updating this piece of shit

_"Shut up Louis."_

 

Louis flinched at Harry's harsh tone and the tears he was holding back started falling down his face.

"No no no Louis, I didn't- what I meant was, just please stop putting yourself down. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Harry wiped Louis' tears with his thumb and sighed.

"Okay first of all, yes, you did treat people awfully in high school. But what's done is done. The only thing you can do now is maybe apologize to the ones you wronged the most. The most important thing is that you've grown so much as a person. You've acknowledged that your previous acts were indeed very wrong and your past behaviour brings you shame." Harry said and brought Louis to his chest for a quick hug. He got a wary smile out of Louis, who thanked him quietly, promising to send an apology to at least that one particular person.

"I'm immensely proud of you for that, okay? I'm sure it will be highly appreciated." Harry said, smiled, and continued.

"As for your old high school friends, well, were they really your friends if they just left you? I mean we lived in a small town with just one school, it is very rare that you find many like-minded people who stick with you when you've both moved away to bigger cities with more people. You remember my best friend Ed, right? Well, he and I drifted apart and really started talking again last year after he transferred to my school and we became roommates. So it happens even to the best of us." Harry said and smiled encouragingly at Louis, who grinned back.

"Your siblings adore you, Louis. Your mother too. I don't really know them, but they'd be crazy not to." A strand of hair fell onto Louis' forehead so Harry brushed it off.

"I mean, you have basically been a father to them, Louis. Your mother is so lucky to have such a hard-working, caring, and responsible son. When it comes to your father, though..." Louis seemed nervous, so Harry took his hand and gave it a light squeeze to indicate that he was there for him.

"I have nothing positive to say about that man. Louis, I know this might not mean much coming from me since we don't really know each other anymore but, after what's happened in the last 12 hours or so, I think it's safe to say that-"

"Harry, love, please get to the point." Louis teased.

"Right, uh. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," Harry said and shoved Louis' shoulder playfully, "I hope you know that what your father did was terrible. You were just a kid. Of course you cried easily. You wanna know why I cried once when I was a kid? My cousin ate all the cottage cheese and I really liked cottage cheese with my mashed potatoes. So I left the table and went to a different room to cry for the loss of the perfect meal." Louis laughed out loud and Harry joined. When their laughter quieted down he brought a hand to Louis' cheek and looked him right in the eyes. He still looked like he could cry at the snap of fingers. He was just holding it in.

"This is cliche and quite obvious but it's completely okay for men to cry. It does not make you any less of a man, okay? Good. Now that we've established that crying is, in fact, manly, would you mind letting go of all those pent up tears you've been holding in for who knows how long now?" Harry asked gently. Louis' lower lip wobbled and he let the tears fall freely from his eyes.

"I think I've been crying most of the time I've been here with you, right?" Louis said with a wavering voice. Harry smirked at him and brought him to his chest again, mumbling in his ear, "I think you were in dire need of a good, long crying session." Louis felt so liberated that he started properly sobbing while Harry stroked his back soothingly.

They stayed like that for at least fifteen minutes: Louis sobbing freely into Harry's chest while Harry comforted him with gentle touches and soothing words. After Louis' sobs started to cease, a loud grumble echoed from Harry's stomach. Louis looked up at him with his red-rimmed and puffy eyes and smiled. _He's so beautiful._ Harry thought.

"I guess that puts a stop to this sob-fest, right? Come along, you clearly need some grub." Louis got up and practically skipped out of the room. Harry laid there, stunned, and stared after Louis.

"Are you coming or not, curly?" A loud yell came from the kitchen and pulled Harry from his daze. He got up and walked the short distance to the kitchen where Louis was already cooking something on the stove. Harry was suddenly feeling a little awkward and shy since this was the Louis he was used to. This Louis he knew. The bubbly and happy Louis, who was funny and energetic. Harry felt himself gradually start to revert back into the shy and quiet schoolboy who had a crush on (one of) the class clown(s). He leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed and watched Louis, who was still working the stove and quietly humming something under his breath. Louis looked up at Harry and flashed a blinding smile at him, making him blush and smile at the ground. He stared at his feet until Louis told him to come eat.

Harry had never eaten in such an awkward setting before, but the pancakes Louis had whipped up were tasty even though the situation wasn't too pleasant. They ate in total silence, and cleaned the kitchen without uttering a single word - aside from the mandatory "thank you" and "you're welcome".

Harry was thinking about what to say to Louis about the last kind of love he desired. The friend and family parts had been easy, but to discuss the lack of successful relationships with an ex almost-boyfriend... He didn't know many people who would be up for that. They both went back to Louis' bedroom where Louis picked up some clothes and said that he was going to hit the shower. While Louis was in the shower, Harry tried conducting a series of things to say to Louis, and some questions to clarify things. _Shit, I wish I had more time to prepare something to say._

"Do you need a shower too?" Harry jumped a little at the sudden question but nodded. Louis threw him a towel and told him where to go. After Harry was gone, he threw himself on the bed and started preparing himself for the inevitable: the talk about his love life. His first thought was to run because he felt like such a failure in front of Harry who's probably had only healthy and successful relationships. _I wonder if he's single. Wait what? Louis, no. Not the time nor place for that._  He was startled when Harry came back to the room only wearing a towel, mumbling about being an idiot and forgetting to take a change of clothes with him and all Louis could think was _nice, he really grew out of his baby fat_. He sighed and closed his eyes. _Fucking hell, I am not ready for this conversation._ Harry came back fully clothed and sat on the bed next to where Louis was laying. He sat up too and they both took a deep breath.

"So, I think you know the next topic." Harry joked and laughed dryly. Louis nodded and reluctantly urged Harry to continue.

"I'm sorry that your past relationships have failed. But none of that was your fault: if your partners cheated on you, it's on them, not you. You are definitely not useless, and I'm sure that you have heaps of good qualities. From what I remember, you were really funny, understanding, and you were smart - and don't even try to deny that! I saw your potential, but I was a little sad that you never really quite lived up to it. I guess you were too busy with being cool and popular to work on school." Harry joked and put an arm around Louis' shoulders, earning a smile from Louis.  _No one's ever thought I was smart,_ Louis thought and blushed.

"Personally, I think the old saying that 'you will find love when you stop looking for it' is true. Well, at least I hope it is because you're not the only one who has had problems with finding love." Harry chuckled nervously and screamed in his mind.  _Don't go there, Harry! Stop talking before you say something you'll regret._

 

"What do you mean by that?" Louis asked.  _Shit._ Harry put his arms in his lap and started nervously playing with his fingers.

"I- uhh..." came out of Harry's mouth, followed by mumbled words which Louis didn't catch.

"Could you repeat that, love?"  _Fuck fuck fuck frick frack what the hell please no._

"Well, I... What I said was, that I've never actually- I've never actually been in a relationship. Not even on a date, or anything even close to it." Louis was stunned: how hadn't anyone snatched Harry up for themselves? He was smart and funny and nice  _and gorgeous. Wow, thanks for your input, brain._ Louis motioned Harry to continue, and he did, albeit reluctantly.

"It's just that I," Harry scratched his neck and looked at Louis hesitantly, "I don't develop feelings easily. The person needs to be really special for the initial attraction to grow into something bigger than a simple infatuation. But enough about that! How inconsiderate of me, just bringing up my own problems when we're talking about you!"  _Nice save, jackass,_ Harry thought and flashed a fake smile at Louis, who saw right through it.

"So... What was so special about me, then? Since you decided that your feelings for me were strong enough to tell me about them?" Louis said and grinned. Harry's face went fire red and he put his head in his hands while Louis laughed. 

"Not funny, Louis. Stop fishing for compliments it's not cute." Harry mumbled teasingly and rubbed his face. He lifted his head and turned his gaze on Louis.

"Seriously though, you don't need to worry about not being loved. Your family loves you. Someone, someday, will love you more than they've ever loved anyone before. Your kids will love you. Your friends love you. Hell, I'm sure even your co-workers and neighbours love you. There's just something about you, Louis, that makes people love you." Harry sighs, looks away, and blushes, "I know I did."

_Did Harry just say that he loved me? I thought it was just a crush? Maybe if I had-_

"Louis you have no idea how much it meant for me when I told you about my feelings and you reciprocated. I couldn't stop smiling for days. Just knowing that my feelings were not unrequited was a source of happiness for years. Years, Louis. That's how big of an impact you had on me, and we didn't even date." Harry said. Louis was shocked, to say the least. He was not expecting Harry to open up like this. Harry looked up at Louis again and continued.

"Sometimes I wondered 'what if something had happened between us' and there were some scenarios playing in my head that I wished would've happened, but it's not like I'm still hopelessly hanging onto the thought of you - I just haven't found anyone who makes me feel like you did." Small smiles were exchanged, and this time they were both blushing.

"I remember being so confused when you first started talking to me. I was sure it was some sort of a joke, but we really hit it off and I started considering you a friend. Then, of course I had to screw it up by developing feelings for you but it turned out okay in the end. You know, my self-esteem wasn't the highest at the time and knowing that someone liked me despite the flaws that I was sure everyone else saw too, well, it was the best feeling."

Louis' mind was running wild. He never thought Harry had felt so strongly about him. He now wished he had done something about their feelings instead of brushing the whole thing off and saying that he wasn't looking for a relationship. Louis put his arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He was getting tears in his eyes again and drew a shaky breath.

"I had no idea you felt so strongly about me," Louis said, rubbing Harry's back, "If I had known, I-"

"Please don't," Harry pulled away from the hug and looked Louis in the eye, "I am done with 'what if's Louis. You didn't want to be with me then, and I've accepted that. It did hurt after the initial hype had come down: I kept thinking what was wrong with me, didn't you like me enough to be with me, or were you just lying for-"

"No! Love, no. I wasn't lying. I really did like you a lot. I thought you were funny and wicked smart and adorable. I don't know what I was thinking really. Anyone would be really lucky to have you." Harry sniffled and asked if Louis really meant it. He smiled gently and put his hand on Harry's cheek, who covered Louis' hand with his own.

"Yes. You are amazing. You helped me get home and stayed the night, even though we hadn't talked for years and you probably had other plans. You held me when I cried. I poured my freaking heart out for you, man, and you listened and made me feel so much better. And thank you for all of that. I honestly would probably be dead in a ditch if it wasn't for you." Harry's gaze fell upon Louis' lips, and his breath hitched. He looked up at Louis' eyes to find him smiling softly. They started to gravitate towards each other - Louis' hand still on Harry's cheek with Harry's hand on top. With only two inches between their lips, Harry leaned his forehead against Louis' and whispered, "You're welcome."

Both lads had their eyes closed and they were breathing each other in, mouths now a mere inch apart, both waiting for the other to take initiative. Harry took a deep breath, put his hand on Louis' neck and went to close the final distance between them-

 

♪♫LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS TO DEFEAT THE HUNS♫♪

**_Harry was going to kill whoever had the nerve to call him._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bless you for putting up with this and me


	5. Cinq

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the phone call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT IS UP IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR and I hate myself
> 
> Anyway this is the last actual part of the story, I might add some more to it, but this is an okay way to end it, eh?
> 
> This chapter looks different than the others cause theres pov changes and i dont even know i guess i thought it would be clearer or sth but im too lazy to edit it now to match the previous chapters sO just go with it

"Niall I will end you."

Harry stood up and walked out of the room, his face as red as a freshly spanked ass.

"What the actual hell do you want you fucknut, I was just about to- nevermind, what's up?"

There was loud laughter coming from the phone - no doubt it was on speaker and the rest of the gang heard his outburst.

"Good morning princess, just how sore is your ass for you to be this butthurt on this beautiful morning?"

Harry was going to punch Zayn in the throat.

"Nothing like that happened, you nosy shitdicks, we just talked. A lot. About a lot of things and you actually interrupted something -NO Niall we were not about to fuck- so please just tell me, what do you want?"

All three boys started talking at the same time but after a while they pulled themselves together and Liam told Harry that they just wanted to know what happened and when did they need to pick him up. He was silent for a minute, and when he heard a loud thump, he quickly dismissed his friends saying he'll get back to them, hung up, and returned to the room to see Louis lying on the floor beside the bed.

 

LOUIS' POV

 

"Niall I will end you."

Harry practically ran out of the room and Louis was left there blushing like a virgin. They almost kissed, how mad is that? His heart was still beating fast and he felt giddy, but disappointed. This Niall person was not his favourite at the moment cause he interrupted something that Louis thinks would've been the start of something beautiful. Now though? He feels awkward just thinking about picking up where they left off before the phone call. The moment was ruined, and Louis was left with an almost-kiss with an almost-boyfriend from years ago, and that almost-boyfriend was now outside his room talking loudly with this Niall he said he was going to end.

Louis tried to sneakily get off the bed to go eavesdrop, but his legs got tangled in the sheets and he fell face first on the floor and groaned. He didn't get up immediately but when raised his head, Harry was next to him with a hand on his shoulder and a worried look on his face.

"Hi Harry."

What the fuck was wrong with him.

 

HARRY'S POV

 

Harry saw Louis lying face down next to the bed and was confused. He rushed to the boy on the floor and touched his shoulder just when Louis raised his head to look at him.

"Hi Harry."

Why was he so cute.

"Hey, Louis."

They shared sweet smiles while staring into each others' eyes. The raw emotion in Louis' eyes after the draining 24 hours he's had was clearly visible and it honestly hurt Harry too. It soon became too much for Harry to handle so he turned his gaze away (and blushed).

 

LOUIS' POV

 

"So, umm..." Louis started and got up into a sitting position when he realized he had been just lying there awkwardly. "Was that Niall one of your friends from yesterday?"

Harry nodded and stood up, brushing off some imaginary dust off his knees.

"Yeah, Niall was the annoying douchenozzle who woke you up when you fell asleep on me in the car." Harry blushed furiously and pretended to cough to try to mask it. Louis smiled and asked him the other friends names.

"Then there was Liam, and Zayn. Liam was the buff one with the buzz cut, and Zayn was the broody model. They're my best friends, well, them and Ed, who couldn't make it on the trip. I would do anything for them." Harry was smiling gently when he was talking about his friends and Louis was so moved; no one ever talked about him like that. Shit, he was starting to actually tear up - again.

 

HARRY'S POV

 

Harry's expression changed when he looked back at Louis, who looked like he was .3 seconds away from crying. He went from fond to concerned and kneeled back down next to the other boy. His left hand went to squeeze his shoulder while the right one caught the first tear that fell.

"What's wrong darling?"

Darling? Really? Right, not the time to worry about that, Louis was sad.

"You're just- you are so nice and genuine and I am so happy for your friends. That they have someone like you." Louis wrapped his arms around his knees making Harry put his own hands in his own lap, let a few more tears fall and then continued, mumbling, "I wish I had someone like you."

Harry wasn't sure what exactly gave him the courage to utter next words, but he did it.

"You can have me."

 

LOUIS' POV

 

Louis had never turned his head so fast to look at someone. Did Harry just? What is life?

"I- you- what?"

Harry sighed and he looked like he was having an internal battle over something. Louis was anxious to know what was happening underneath those curly locks.

They had an intense staring competition until Harry finally moved. He shuffled around to sit in front of Louis and took his hands that were wrapped around his knees. He took a deep breath and locked eyes with Louis, looking more determined than ever.

 

HARRY'S POV

 

You can do this, Harry. You're holding Louis' hands and now you just need to say it all. Just go for it.

"I'm not perfect, Louis. I'm stubborn, I'm a bit messy, I can be petty, and I have some personal issues that I have been too afraid to tap into, but if you'll have me... I mean, I can be there for you from now on. As a friend, or just a shoulder to cry on, or something else. You won't be alone from now on, okay? I'll be here, with you, until you want me gone. And yes, that means that I will never leave you alone, unless you want me to."

Louis wasn't really crying this time, though his eyes were shining with unshed happy tears. He pulled Harry into a tight hug and thanked him.

"Of course I'll have you, in any way you'll allow me to." They pulled away from the hug to look each other in the eye. There were only a few inches between their faces.

"Any way?" Harry asked.

"Any way." Louis answered.

This. This moment. Now was his chance to fulfill his high school self's biggest wish. A small movement and he could kiss the lips he barely let himself even think about in the last 12 hours. A small movement and he'd finally know what it's like to kiss Louis Tomlinson. Hell, one small movement and he'd know what ot was like to kiss someone. His nerves were starting to get the better of him and he started to pull his head back but there was a hand behind his neck stopping him from doing that.

"Preferably this way," Louis mumbled, and finally brought their lips together.

Harry's eyes went wide, but then closed after a couple of seconds as he wrapped his arms behind Louis' neck.

His stomach was going crazy with all the butterflies that were apparently having a fucking rave or something inside of him. All the years of yearning, and then all the years of Louis in the back of his mind, all the years of thinking about this exact moment, and it was nothing and everything he had dreamt about.

The kiss was chaste and short but to Harry, it felt like forever.

 

LOUIS' POV

 

Louis doesn't know where he got that burst of confidence, but he was happy that he did. He only pressed a chaste peck onto Harry's lips but it honestly felt better than any other kiss in his life. Louis pulled away and smiled at the dazed look on Harry's face.

Suddenly Harry opened his eyes and looked at Louis concerned.

"What does this mean, Louis? I mean, back then, you said that you liked me but you never did anything about it, and now you just kissed me and it was my first kiss and I don't know what to do, and just- please say something."

First kiss. It was Harry's first kiss. How in the hell could someone as nice and adorable and just all around wonderful person go for so many years without ever being kissed?

"I meant it," Louis whispered while running his hand through Harry's hair, "If you'll only allow me I'd like to have you like this. I'm not that selfish, immature idiot I was in high school anymore. I'd like to kiss you, and hold your hand, and talk about stupid things with you. I'd like to cuddle with you and take walks in the park. Harry I have never wanted to date anyone as bad as I want you."

Harry nodded. He was smiling but tears were streaming down his face. Louis stood up, took Harry by his hands and helped him up too. Then he maneuvered them to lie down on the bed, facing each other. He pulled Harry's head to his chest and started carding his fingers through his curls.

"Let me take you on a date, love." Louis said after Harry had wrapped his arms around his torso and his breathing was even again.

The only reply he got was a kiss on his neck. He smiled

"I'll take that as a yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this shit and putting up with me 
> 
> I hope you laughed more than you cringed


End file.
